Up to Wellington

Given this is my last semester at uni, finding a job for the next year is one of the foremost things-to-do. I applied to the NZ Racing Board sometime in July, got through the CV elimination round to the interview round. Excitingly enough, I got through the interview round and this week, the NZRB is flying me up to Wellington for more interviews and an assessment centre.

On one hand this is really good news to have made it this far. On the other hand, I'm freaking out. I don't know anyone else who have made it into the selection...would have been so much easier to know someone so you could kinda work through the thing together. It's pretty freaky coz you have to socialise with all the exec members. The CEO himself is gonna be present and while making small talk, there is the pressure of ensuring you make yourself memorable. I hate small talk...

While I've yet to decide whether I actually feel entirely happy about being flown up for more interviews, it means I'll be missing a horse riding lesson on Friday 8( Now that's devastating coz I began last week and it only goes for 3 weeks and it's real fun. My horse's name is PJ and she's really nice. It's gonna be a bummer missing out on the lesson, especially when this time we'd be really getting into it. Still, getting a job's more important aye? I really hope I survive this final elimination round. On the other hand, well I'll get a free trip up to Wellington with good lodging! 8)

Back again for the last semester after a long 3 week break away from everything. Yep, spent all the time up in Golden Bay with Garth on his parents' farm in the middle of nowhere...away from cellphones and the internet (well pretty much...dial up doesn't really count does it? 8p). The highlights of the holiday include:

1. Riding on the 4 wheel farm motorcycle (as a passenger mostly)...attempting to drive it through the opening of the gate, and nearly crashing into a tree. It's not as bad as it sounds really, I just didn't have the strength to steer at that time (think big bulky noisy machine)...

2. Staying up in the bach...no electricity and no hot water coz it's at the top of the hill (which my sister and I named Garth Hill), but cellphone reception is good there. I learnt why you can go blind trying to sew by candlelight...needless to say, I left my cross-stitching behind thereafter.

Candlelight dinner up at the bach (candlelight not optional)

3. Roly and Sheena coming up to visit. Garth tried to take us up Cobb Valley, only we got stuck in the snow and ice partway up the hill and didn't have snow chains on. Thankfully we managed to dig and push the car outta the ice so we could turn around and go back down! Good thing Ian (Garth's dad) had a grubber in the trunk of the car, or else we'd have been stuck near the top of a hill till 6pm in the freezing cold...not fun. We did have a fantastic snack of cheese and crackers in the valley by the Takaka River.

By the Takaka River...it's cold!

Garth had heaps of fun tormenting Roly...and Roly saw lots of the floor in Golden Bay courtesy of Garth...as can be seen:

4. Getting to see sheep scanning...and getting bumped around by muddy heavy sheep.

The sheep were being scanned using ultra-sound to see how many lambs they were carrying. Lotsa twins and 2 or 3 triplets! I got to see the screen and learnt to tell how many lambs the ewe was carrying, also got to push the sheep up the ramp to be scanned (they're heavy).

Scanning the sheep


Marking those with twins


The sheep are chasing me!!

5. Missing the awful cold weather in Dunedin. Basically it rained, frosted, iced, snowed, sleeted almost everyday. They even had to close the road between Dunedin and Queenstown coz of snow and ice. It's been the coldest winter so far. Brrr... Here's what I missed which I saw went we came back:

Just driving into Dunedin

While up in Golden Bay...

Sunshine!!!

I miss the warmth...